The love of God in demonstration

The love of God in demonstration

To gain a better understanding on how to love others with the love of God we need to go to the Word and see how Jesus Christ demonstrated love.  My prayer is that this will open up our hearts to gain a better understanding of the meaning of love and how to love others.

I am going to start this teaching in John 13; I want to give you an understanding on what is going on right now in Jesus’ life.  He knew that his hour is coming, the hour meaning he was going to be betrayed by Judas and dragged away  to be beaten.  Earlier God revealed to Jesus what he was going to have to go through for you and I to be delivered, he had asked God if there was any other way. The extreme torture and abuse he would have to endure caused him to sweat as of tears of blood. You and I will never know the depth of what he had to experience for us. The false religious paintings of Jesus hanging on a wooden cross with a trickle of blood running down his face is a lie straight from the pit of hell. He was beaten to a bloody pulp, hour after hour.  Knowing this would happen, he asked God if there was any other way and there wasn’t.  Jesus loved his disciples; he loved Judas, right down to the very last minute. I will show you how he demonstrated his love.  It was a hands-on experience. I know if I had a couple of hours left before I was going to be tortured  I wouldn’t be out loving people I would be in so much mental anguish that I wouldn’t know what to do. But this man, Jesus did it, he loved to the end, he put his feelings aside and exalted his love for others.

John 13;1  ¹Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

 ²And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;     ³Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

 ⁴He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. ⁵After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

 ⁶Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?  ⁷Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

 ⁸Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.   ⁹Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

This is so awesome! Before I go any further I want to explain the Eastern culture on washing feet. With that understanding the Word will have so much more meaning.  First of all in the East there were three different ranks of servants. One was usually a poor family member, but one you could trust and you knew well. That person had a bigger more prestigious job. The second level of servant was one that was purchased as a slave or one who was hired. The third was the lowest; this person was born from one of the servants. This servant had to perform the dirtiest and the most menial tasks. One of these tasks was to stand in the foyer and when guests would arrive, they would throw their sandals at them to be cleaned, while the other servant would wash their feet. They needed to have their feet and sandals washed because bacteria and germs would collect while walking in the dust. If the owners or guests came in and out of the house fifty times a day, then they would wash their feet fifty times a day. However, if a very important guest came, someone who meant more than anyone else to them, then by bestowing their greatest respect and honor upon that guest, the master of the house would wash their feet. But only if they were highly respected people. The Eastern people knew the importance of this and they knew that only the lowest form of servants would wash their feet. When it came to Peter, he told Jesus, no! You’re not going to wash my feet, basically that is disgraceful. Then Jesus said fine, you have no part with me, and then Peter says, ok wash my hands and head! Pretty funny. Jesus by washing their feet was demonstrating his love for them, the master, washing their feet.

¹²So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?     ¹³Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

 ¹⁴If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  ¹⁵For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.    ¹⁶Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.    ¹⁷If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye do them.

You know, the world has this all screwed up and backwards. The servant is not greater than his lord, and he that is sent not greater than he who sent him. Jesus claims to be their friend, in our administration he is our brother. The greater the leader, the greater the servant. You know what you see in our culture? If you have a title your better than anyone else.  A manager will tell you what to do but they themselves would never do that. They expect better treatment, and they get it. What about at a school district for example. Does the superintendent get treated better than the janitor? Yes, I don’t’ think the janitor is allowed to have their breaks in the same room. In a large corporation, your nothing if newly hired or do not have the same level of authority. In Gods eyes there is no respect of persons. In James, it talks about, if a person comes into the room that is dressed all up and looks good, are you not going to treat that person better than one who is dressed less and has no title. It’s wrong! That is not the love of God; you do not favor a rich person and treat them better than you would a poor person. When it comes to love there is no age difference or title, or persons title with God, he doesn’t go for that crap. Yet we are surrounded by it day after day. Jesus Christ was their master, their lord, and before he was to be taken away and beaten for hours, he got on his knees and washed his disciple’s feet. Not only was he showing humility, but he was exalting them with respect, he was showing the most respect and love a master could. Judas was one of them! He knew Judas would betray him yet he loved him. The words says to love your enemies, if Jesus could do it then we can do it. It’s a lot easier to love those who love you; I enjoy loving those who love me. But at times I have a problem with loving them who are cruel and mean to me. My pride gets hurt and all kinds of ugly feelings come out in me. I have to put on the word of God in my mind. I am suppose to love my enemies, doesn’t say make them your best friend.   He said to them, this is an example that you should follow. If you do these things you will be blessed. If you don’t’ do these things you are deceiving yourself because whatsoever you sow you shall reap. There is no one better than you and you are no better than no one. Jesus had to put his thoughts about what he was going to have to endure aside and concentrated on one thing, to teach them how to love. If you only had a few hours left of your life what would you teach your children or close friends to do? The only thing that matters in our life is that we love. I Corinthians 13;2 says and though I have prophecy and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge and though I have all the believing so that I could remove mountains, and have not the love of God, I am nothing! It doesn’t matter how smart you are, how many college degrees you have, it doesn’t matter that your believing is so great that you could remove mountains, and guarantee you would be a very powerful person to do that, if you do not have the love of God, you are nothing! Then Verse 3 says, and thought I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, which means you’re burning yourself out to serve, and have not the love of God, it profiteth me nothing! You can pray until your blue in the face, you can run a hundred charity groups; you can work all day long serving the poor until you are exhausted, but if you do not have the love of God it profits you nothing. God wrote this not me. Without loving others with the love of God, I am nothing and the things I do profit me nothing. If you want profit in your life, then go love. If you want to be something, then go love. Do something for someone. If you have the means to give then give it. The quality of your life is based on how much you love. Starting with God first, you love God, and then you are to love others. Love is not having to make them your friends. I can love anyone and I don’t’ have to like them, love is giving, it’s not feeling gushy or happy, it’s giving. If I am giving someone the Word and they don’t want it, then fine, that’s their business. I am not out to make anyone happy, I am out to give the words of life so they can believe and reap rewards and an endless bounty of God’s blessings. The best way you can love, is no matter what you’re doing, do it for God. People will forget the nice things you’ve done for them, some may even hurt you after you have blessed them, whatever you do, do it for God. He doesn’t forget, and he will without a shadow of a doubt reward you. We are to do all things for God, and not to be men pleasers. There is no reward and no profit if you’re trying to please men. We love and that is in giving. You see a need don’t turn your head the other way. You don’t’ treat someone better because they are rich. One more thing, having millions of dollars doesn’t make anyone rich in life. You can have all that money and be absolutely poor because of your heart. Money has nothing to do with you prospering and being something. Without love, your nothing and all the actions you take in life will have no profit. But with the love of God, you are a one of a kind. God made you lovely and acceptable. You know, I am not worthy to have Jesus wash my feet, none of us are worthy for that, but he did it because he loved. None of us are worthy to be called by God and to be his sons and daughters, but Jesus made a way for us to be loved by God. It’s all by grace and not of works. He called you by name, God will do anything for you, all your sins have been forgiven, and we can live a life without any sense of sin, guilt or condemnation. We can stand approved before God Almighty!  Condemnation and guilt comes from not knowing you are forgiven, and it comes from people reminding you over and over again how un-perfect you are. Do not do that to yourself and do not let others do that to you. If God forgets and then you choose to remember then you are usurping the authority of God. You are loved by God. Being loved by God has nothing to do with whether you feel like it; his love is not based on feelings. Feelings come and go, just like our emotions. We have to line up our thoughts with the Word. I was never taught to love, I was taught to do good to others if they did something good for you. I was taught that I was un-worthy to be loved because of the things I did. Regardless of all the wrong teachings we have all been taught in our life, we have the power to change. We have the power and the means to change our lives. God strengthens each one of us; he leads us through life by our hand, one step at a time, one thought at a time. We will blow it, time and time again, and we have to remind ourselves that Jesus took every one of our insecurities, our guilt and shame, all our crap and nailed it to the cross. That’s the cross he bore! Not a stupid wooden one, he bore our sins, he took whippings over and over again for our health, he did it all and he completed it for us. What a man he was, he put people first and himself last. We are able to do that.

^{I John 2;4}  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

 ⁵But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (keeping his word means to believe it and do it)

 ⁶He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (Jesus never thought he was better than anyone else, a person with pride never sees that)

 ⁷Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

 ⁸Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.    ⁹He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.    ¹⁰He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

 ¹¹But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.     ¹²I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

 His commandments are not the Ten Commandments, those were under the law, his commandment is to love God with all of your heart and to love your neighbor. That is his commandment. It says we are to walk as he walked, Jesus always put others first. He didn’t fall for the religious guys and those who were only concerned with their appearance. He called them hypocrites, they only want to be seen and heard by people. Still true today. If we don’t’ walk in love it says we are in darkness and that darkness has blinded our eyes. When you are in a pitch black dark room, you stumble around, you don’t’ know where you’re going. That’s what your life is like if you do not love. Your stumbling around in this world, getting tossed to and from with every wind of doctrine. If you say you love God and do not love your neighbor you’re a liar. Anyone can memorize scriptures; any fool can speak about the bible, big deal! It means nothing unless you live it. James says believing without works is dead; I will show you my believing by my works. Jesus said to do it, God says to do it. Don’t’ question or argue about it, you just love. Our sins have been forgiven because God forgave them; it’s a life between you and your father. I didn’t’ have a loving father growing up and it has taken me some time to re-new my mind to believing that I am truly loved.

 John 3;16  Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

 ¹⁷But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

 ¹⁸My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.    ¹⁹And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

 ²⁰For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.    ²¹Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

 ²²And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

There is no condemnation in God’s love; he is so much greater than our hearts. If God isn’t condemning you then you shouldn’t’ be either. God’s desire is to give you whatsoever you ask, that is Gods heart and request for us.

^I John 4;16 and we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

 ¹⁷Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

 ¹⁸There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

 ¹⁹We love him, because he first loved us. (We can love because God loved us first)

 ²⁰If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?      ²¹And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

The love of God casts out fear, if you want to live a life without fear and condemnation, then the only way out is to love. I can’t say it any better, here is the Word, fear has torment, and we all know how horrible that is. It is better to be in a prison of bars and steel than to be in a mental prison of fear and torment along side of self condemnation. The only way out is through Jesus Christ, believing that he is the son of God and that God raised him from the dead, it says if you do that then you are saved. Saved from hell. Romans 10;9&10.  The world is in desperate need of your love, people are living in constant fear and turmoil, they are living in guilt and sadness, God cannot reach into their hearts without someone reaching in for him. He needs us to love for him, how else can he? You have to be his heart and mouthpiece so others can be let free. You start loving and your life will start changing, I guarantee, actually God guarantee’s because he backs up his Word. The greatest of all things a person can perform in this life is to love with the love of God. There is no force that is more powerful than love. The power of love is stronger than evil. The only way to get rid of such great power would have to be to kill that person. That’s how powerful love is. We underestimate the power of love because the world has thrashed the meaning. We have been so deceived by thinking people loved us, only to be hurt by them. People tell you they love you over and over again, yet their actions don’t line up it. It has caused more confusion than anything else. Saying you love someone has no meaning at all unless you show it. It doesn’t matter how many times you go to church, it doesn’t matter if you’re a manager of a huge corporation, and nothing matters at all if you don’t love. Our God will teach you how to love.  There is nothing he wouldn’t do for you. What an honor that God asks us to love for him, what a privilege. You should be thrilled. Jesus demonstrated how to love, so now go love and be loved.